Piston-packing.



P E s L E K E S PISTON PACKING.

(Application filed Aug. 21, 1899.)

(No Model.)

In: mums versus 00. mrouma. WASNIIGTVIL a. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIDNEY E. KELSEY,OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI;

PISTON-PACKING.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657.548. datedSeptember 1 1, 1900. Application filed August 21, 1399. Serial No.727,942. Q 0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIDNEY E. KELSEY, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piston-Packing; and I do hereby declare that the following isafull, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others to makeand use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings,forming apart of this specification.

My invention has for its object the reduction in loss of power incidentto steam-leakage in the cylinder of an engine and also a packing whichwill reduce the pressure be tween the wearing parts and the frictionbetween the wearing surfaces, thereby reducing the loss of powerincident thereto and combining with simplicity of construction.

self expansibility and contractibility; and to this end my inventionconsists of a strip of metal or other suitable material wound or foldedupon itself and compressed into a compact and practically fluid tightmass having minute openings between contiguous surfaces when inextension and having within itself the power of expansion andcontraction.

The invention further consists in the novel construction and combinationof parts, such as will be first fully described, and specificallypointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is aview in perspective of the novel packingapplied toa piston of an engine, a portion of the end plate being brokenaway to show the core of the piston. Fig. 2 is a side view in detail ofthe packing. Fig. 3 is a perspective View in detail of a portion of thenovel packing. Fig. 4 is a View of a portion of the spiral packingbefore compression. Fig. 5 is a View of an alternate form of thepacking.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a piston for the cylinderof anengine.

a represents the ordinary bull ring or spider around which .the packingextends, the packing being shown in each recess of the bull-ring.

a a are the front and rear clamping-plates,

respectively, and a the extension of the bullring.

a is the piston-rod.

B represents the novel packing-ring, which is formed from a strip bofsuit-able material, which is preferably drawn through a square orrectangular die, such material being used as possesses the requisiteamount of elasticity, such as brass, the strip 1) being wound spirallyto form a helix, (see Fig. 4,) the length of which helix is considerablyin excess of the circumference of the bull-ring a. The helix thusprepared is then compressed in a suitable compressing-machine upon thetop, bottom, and sides, so as to reduce the helix to a rectangular form,(see Fig. 3,) and also compressed longitudinally into a substantiallyfluid-tight mass, so as to reduce the space between the folds of thespirallywoundstrip to minute openings. In the compression of the helixfrom the form as seen in Fig. 4 to form the novel packing as seen inFigs. 2 and 3 the ends of each fold of the helix are upset orforcedinwardly, the enlargements of said ends being upset and fillingthe interstices of the folds, thus forming a practically fluid-tightjoint and leaving the sides of the packing with an even surface. Thepacking is then given the properor slight extension, after which thepackingis trimmed and is the proper length to extend around the ring aof the piston, the ends being brought together in contiguityb The widthof the packing will then be nearly the same as the recessed portion ofthe bull-ring a, the plates at a being clamped upon the ends of thepacking by the tightening of the nut a on the end of piston-rod a andthe packing held in position. The packing is taken from the compress inan elliptical, square, or rectangular cross-section or other shape, asfound desirable. Before placing the helix in the compress the end coilsare Welded or pinched together. The compress employed is preferably suchas to preserve the contour'of the packing in the arc of a circle duringcompression, the inner edges receiving a greater degree of compressionthan the outer edges of the packing.

Instead of winding the strip of which the packing B is composed into aspiral form or helix, as before described, I attain the result of myinvention'inanother form, as seen in a r v a 65 63545 T Fig. 5,111 whichthe strip f, of which the packinner surfaceof the cylinder.

ing is made, is vinexcess of the width of the strip-b and of the samematerial. In this on struction the strip f is pleated orv folded backand forth upon'itself 'in. parallel planesand tions orjointsof the foldsbeing upset, leaving an even surfacewith the interstices filled with theupset portions of the scalloped ends of the folds. The packing is thengiven the proper-set in extension'andis'also ground to accommodate it tothe steam=fitting surface of the cylinder and is in readiness for use.

In theoperation of the piston within the cylinder or an engine theimproved packing has a tendency to press outward, and therefore to beconstantly in close contact with the V Thisresnlt is obvious from theelasticity of the packing,

I so that atwhatever place the cylinder becomes worn the packing exertsa pressure outwardly in the direction of such place, pre venting theloss-of steam, and consequently and thusa direct "savingin the amount ofsteam required tooperate the engine and in the cost of fuellto producethe steam.

It'will be evident that my novel packing depends forxits packingproperties upon its elasticity'and upon the fact that many mi-' nuteopenings, whichin the aggregate are equivalent'to a il'argeopening, maybe =prac- 1 tijcallyrflu'id-tight, while the large opening will permitthe freepassageof a fluid, and,

' fu ther, upon thefa'ct that these minute opent rings :must ofnecessity become'filled with the 0 e c faces, in combinationwith suchextraneous substances as oil,- water, or fluid of any kind particles ofmatter, from. the frictional surwith which the packing may come intocontact. hWhen the packing is placed in the cylinder, it is undercompression, and the joints are closed. Any slight expansion of thepacking will produce minute-openings between the contiguous surfaces ofthe packing,which will be covered with a film of fluid-as soon astheopenings-are increased enough to ad-' mit it. It will therefore "beseen that the packing mayexpand,vincident to thewear,

- and still remain practically fluid-tight. I Having fully described myinvention,-what I now claim-as new, and desire to secure by'Letters'Patent, is?- I v 1. An annular packing composed of a strip ofsuitable material folded upon itself, form'- ing selfv extensible andcontractible, parts;

compressed together in a substantially fluidtightmass, and with theouter sides of the folded parts of the packing upset to fill, the

interstices, the ends of said packing beingin contiguity. I

2. A metallic ipacking ring, comprising a coiled-strip having its endcoils connected together,' and the contacting surfaces of the parts ofthe coils compressed into a substantially fluid-tight mass. obtaining agreater steam-pressu re efficiency;

3. A metallic packing-ring; comprising a helically-wound strip withitsends joined together', and the contiguous parts of the coilscompressed "into substantially fluid -tight joints, and s'aidjointsupsetto fillthe interstice's.

4. A metallic packing-ring composed of a suitable helically-woundspring, the end coils of which springare joined together and thecontiguous parts of the coils compressed into substantially fluid-tightjoints, and enlarged at their'ends to fill'the interstices.

i SIDNEY KELSEY.

Witnesses'n O. R. MCGEE, e,

. IDA M. RUssELL.

